Unforgettable
by new in town
Summary: "You're the friend I'll always remember; our memories are what I'll never forget." As May Maple participates in the Lumiose Conference, nothing compares to seeing a certain coordinator's smile in the crowd. Role Reversal AU. Advanceshipping.
1. one

**I probably _shouldn't_ start another fanfic when I still need to finish Sea Breeze, but I've never seen a role reversal au and it just had to be written. I hope you guys like this ! just so you know what little changes I made, I figured I'd list them out here. **

**Ash is a coordinator and May is a league trainer. They're both still from Kanto and Hoenn, respectively, but they decided on different paths than in the anime. Drew is still May's rival, but he is also a trainer (also he's not a total dick in this, I promise.) This is set pre-SM anime, but Alola is still a region that exists. Neither Ash nor May have ever disliked Pokémon even though it's a huge part of May's original character arc. I thought it'd be best if they had each grown up with a love for Pokémon so yeah! That's all I've changed so far, but I'll keep y'all posted on any updates to these character arcs !**

 **Happy reading guys! -AJ**

* * *

May Maple sat in Lumiose City, drinking her coffee in Café Soleil as the muted TV screen displayed the final battle of this year's Sinnoh Grand Festival. A familiar boy was calling out a command to an even more familiar little yellow Pokémon. A beautifully executed Iron Tail slammed into the opponent's Aggron, sending the heavy Pokémon back a few feet.

Despite the type disadvantage, the electric type clearly had the upper hand, Pokémon in sync with coordinator. One more silent shout from Ash Ketchum and the battle was over with the sparks of electricity flying from Pikachu's cheeks. The Hoenn native smiled brightly as her best friend was declared the winner of the Grand Festival, and then the screen cut to Malva as she continued with a follow up report on last night's contest battle.

"Hey May!" Drew called, catching the attention of the brunette as he entered the café. "You ready to practice for the conference tomorrow?" Nodding, the trainer rose to her feet with a sheepish smile. "I had almost forgotten, but yeah, I'm ready!"

"I don't blame you; Ash has come pretty far, huh?" Drew comments, holding his arm out for his friend to take. Rolling her eyes, May playfully linked her arm with his and beamed. "Of course he has! I'd be so lucky to win this conference like he's won his last few Grand Festivals!" she says, exiting the building with her rival and traveling companion.

The green haired trainer chuckled, leading her to the Pokémon Center's practice field. "Don't expect me to go easy on you though! I know we traveled together this time around, but I'm not going to let you win!" he tells her, letting go of her arm to pull a Pokéball from his belt. With a bright smile to match Drew's confidence, May pulled her own Pokéball from her fanny pack.

"I don't expect you to! Just don't cry when I beat you this year!" May retaliates with a smile, tossing her Pokéball into the air. A large red Pokémon flips before she lands on the dirt, fists flaming for a moment. "Blaziken!" she cries, the mega stone fastened around her wrist shining in the sunlight.

"I figured you'd bring your Mega out for this battle!" Drew smirks, releasing his own Pokémon. An Absol appeared on the field, a mega stone glistening on the necklace around his neck. "So how about we give this our all?" he suggests, eyes burning with determination.

"I wouldn't dream of anything else." May grins, calling out her first command. "Blaziken, Mega Evolve! Let's get this battle started!"

* * *

Ash Ketchum stared at the Ribbon Cup as it sat on his bedroom dresser. He still couldn't believe he had done it again. The Sinnohan trophy seemed to stare back at him as it sat next to the Kantonian one he had won only a year ago.

"Ash, dear?" he heard his mother call from downstairs. Shaking away his thoughts, the coordinator jumped to his feet and bounded down the staircase. "Yeah Mom? What's up?"

Delia Ketchum pointed to the TV screen with a smile. "With the Lumiose Conference starting up tomorrow, Saffron City News Network will be replaying the best battles with exclusive interviews from the contestants. Stay tuned for this fun filled weekend! I'm Carl Anderson, and this has been your international update!"

As the next segment of the show started playing seamlessly after the end of the last, Ash raised an eyebrow at his mother. "The Lumiose Conference is all the way in Kalos, where they don't have Pokémon Contests." he says, wondering why his mom was so ecstatic.

"Yes dear, I know. But do you remember who's currently in the Kalos region?" Delia pushed, raising an eyebrow of her own. Her son only furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, and his trusted partner had been the one to speak up.

"Pi Pikachu!" the electric type called out, and then realization hit Ash like a ton of bricks. "How could I forget that May was earning the Kalos badges? She had called me when she beat the Snowbelle Gym!" the raven haired teen recalled, looking at his mother expectantly. When she nodded, he knew that he had guessed correctly.

"What about it though? I won't be able to make it for the first round, even if I left tonight. I guess we'll just have to watch the reruns." he says, albeit dejectedly. "Well," Delia started, catching her son's attention. He looked up, almost afraid of what his mother had planned.

"What if I told you that you and I were leaving for Kalos in about an hour?" she mused, and Ash's jaw would have hit the floor if it hadn't locked up when he opened it. "What? Mom, that's impossible! When did you find the time to get plane tickets?"

"A mother never reveals her secrets." Delia teased, before ushering him away. "Now go get a backpack ready. I made sure to pack you enough clothes for the next few days already." Before he bolted up the stairs, Ash ran to his mother and held her tightly.

"Thank you Mom. You have no idea how much this means to me." he whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek before heading to his room at the speed of light.

Smiling fondly, the woman felt her eyes water as she watched her son move with newfound determination. "Trust me dear. I think I have some sort of idea." Reaching up to wipe her eyes of the stray tears, Delia hurried around the house to make the last minute preparations.

* * *

The plane took off about two hours after Ash had left the house, and suddenly he was being whisked away to see his friend compete in something she'd been working for all year. The coordinator stared out the window intently, as if willing for the plane to speed through the air. The sea was calm beneath them, and the Kantonian trainer could see Gyarados and Wailord if he squinted hard enough.

Somewhere between Saffron City and Lumiose, Ash had fallen asleep to the low hum of the engines. His mom shook him awake once they had landed, the sunset illuminating the sky a beautiful orange hue. "I should have one of my Pokémon mimic the sunset in my next contest." he yawns, earning a laugh from his mother. "Oh Ash, always thinking about contests! We're here to support May, so be sure to leave some room for her in your thoughts!"

"Yeah, yeah.." Ash mumbled, rubbing his eyes sleepily as he trudged down the steps to exit the plane, Pikachu curled up in his arms. His mom pulled both suitcases until Ash managed to get a proper hold of Pikachu with one arm, and then the two were off for one of the many Pokémon Centers in town.

Yawning and mumbling incoherent contest ideas, Ash nearly collapsed on the bed as soon as he entered the room his mother had rented. "Now Ash, I know you're jetlagged and need your sleep, but I think giving May a call would be a good idea." Delia reprimanded, making her son groan. "Moooom!" he whined, his face buried in a pillow. "I'm tired!"

"Ash Ketchum! Get up and go call your friend!"

Sighing tiredly, the teenager forced himself to his feet, sliding his jacket off of his shoulders before he left the room. Feet shuffling heavily against the floor, the coordinator plopped himself down by the video phone after telling Nurse Joy who he was trying to contact. He held the phone up to his ear and yawned again, almost choking on air when her face appeared on the screen.

"Hey Ash! Long time no see!" she says brightly, blue eyes twinkling. "Congrats on your win! I knew you could do it!" May adds, before confusion flashes in her eyes. "Isn't it really late in Kanto right now?"

Chuckling in spite of his tiredness, Ash beams at his best friend. "Yeah, but I'm actually not home right now."

"Oh? And where has the wind blown the great Ash Ketchum today?" May snorts, amusement in her voice.

"The Pokémon Center on South Boulevard has a great view of the tower." Ash notes teasingly, peering out the window as he spoke.

Sapphire eyes widening along with her smile, the Hoenn native couldn't contain her excitement. "Does that mean you're here? In Lumiose?"

Nodding his head with a laugh, Ash resisted the urge to close his eyes and nap. "Yeah. I'll be cheering you on tomorrow!"

"That's wonderful! I'm so excited; I feel like I'm gonna cry!" the trainer exclaims, before taking note of Ash's fourth yawn since the call started.

"Okay, okay. We can catch up tomorrow sleepyhead. Go lay down and rest up. You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow." Ignoring his look of confusion, May continued. "I'm showing you around as soon as the tournament is over!"

"Okay," Ash laughs. "Goodnight May. I'll see you tomorrow. Tell your Pokémon I say hey."

"Will do. Goodnight Ash."

The call ended and Ash slowly but surely made his way to the room he was sharing with his mother. He unlocked the door with the room key, rolling his eyes as he caught sight of Delia passed out in one of the beds. Not bothering to change, the boy flopped down on the other and passed out almost immediately.

Not even his dreams could compare to what the future had in store. With a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, Ash Ketchum slept peacefully before his next big adventure.


	2. two

**I'm not gonna lie. I wrote this immediately after finishing the first chapter because _wow this is so fun to write!_ anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. There are a few cliches here and there, but I went about them in my own way, so I hope nothing is too overbearing! I'll shut up now so you guys can read lmao. Here's chapter two ! enjoy, and don't forget to review if you'd like to leave some suggestions or just let me know how you feel about the story so far! :) - AJ**

* * *

"Drew, _come on!"_ May whined, pulling at his hand as he stood in front of the full length mirror that was in the corner of the hotel room. "May, you need to relax." He says sharply, but there was no malice in his words. The boy continued to mess with his hair, trying to get it to look perfect because he was going to be on TV, after all.

Rolling her eyes as she pursed her lips, the brunette turned her head away stubbornly. "I happen to have someone to meet up with!" she sneers, almost instantly regretting it. "Oh, do you now? Is it a _boy?"_ Drew teases, and May tries to ignore the blush as it burned her cheeks.

"So it is." Drew snickers, finally leaving the mirror behind as he reaches for his belt. He loops it through his jeans, making sure each Pokéball was securely attached in their designated spots. "Are you ready to go _now?"_ May whined once more, flopping onto the bed dramatically. "I'll be ready when I'm ready. Go meet up with your boyfriend." Drew says lightheartedly, a smug grin tugging at his lips.

Grumbling under her breath as she grabbed her fanny pack and fastened it around her waist, May trudged out of the room before she could give herself time to strangle her green haired rival. Checking the time on her Pokétch, May sighed in relief once she realized that she wouldn't be late.

Since she was participating in the Lumiose Conference, the Pokémon League provided her with a hotel room in the center closest to the tower. Unfortunately for her, Ash's hotel was on the other side of the city, and ideally, May would have flown on her Altaria, but the city air was crowded by street lights and billboards that would make it unsafe for her Pokémon to take to the skies.

May inhaled and started walking with determination, starting her trek to southern side of town. She got about halfway down Vernal Avenue before catching a familiar figure walking into the Stone Emporium. Raising an eyebrow, May slips inside after him.

"So, the great Ash Ketchum has finally decided on evolving his Pikachu?" she inquires as she catches up to him, startling him enough for his shoulders to tense and the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. "Ha ha, very funny May." Ash retorts, reaching for a beautiful water stone that was on display for customers to interact with. "I've told you time and time again that Pikachu will evolve when he wants to."

"Alright, alright, I digress." May concedes, playfully holding her hands up in defense. "If you're not here for Pikachu, then why stop by? I don't recall you needing any evolutionary stones." The trainer reaches for Pikachu and scratches him under his chin, giggling when he jumps from Ash's shoulder to hers.

"Professor Oak wanted me to pick up a few stones for him so he can conduct some research with Professor Rowan." Ash explains, dismissing himself for just a moment to purchase the stones he needed. Once he was handed his bag and receipt, he thanked the clerk and motioned for May to follow him out. She obliged, walking next to him in a comfortable silence as they headed towards the conference site. "Are you excited?" Ash asks her, resting a hand on the small of her back to help her pass by a particularly rude looking group of boys. They snickered as they peered at her, and Ash _really_ wanted to punch them in the face. Sending a grateful look his way, May nodded.

"Definitely! Since arriving to Kalos, Drew and I were asked by Professor Sycamore to investigate Mega Evolution, and my Pokémon have gotten so much stronger." Confidence oozed in her voice, and she wasn't sure if it was her own feelings or just his support making her feel so excited. "I'm nervous though." she admits, almost ashamed to look at him.

He had mentored her when they traveled through Hoenn together, even starting to learn more about league battling for her sake. She'd do anything to make him proud. "You have no reason to be nervous. You're the best battler around." he says with a grin, and she feels her heart speed up as she looks at him.

"Besides, I've got a little gift for you." Ash admits, a blush creeping up his neck. "I intended to give her to you much later on, but since my mom arranged for us to come see you now, I figured she'd be happy to meet her new trainer."

Confusion filled her sapphire eyes as she curiously watched her friend. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Pokéball, holding it out for her to take. Startled, May cautiously takes the item. She looks at it for a moment, and then back at Ash for reassurance.

"Go on May! I've told her all about you! She's excited to join your team!" Ash sounds so happy yet still so calm, and May can't help but to do as he asks. She releases her Pokémon from the ball, and to her surprise, it's one she hasn't seen in person before.

"Charmander! Char!" the young fire type cried out in delight as she looked up at her new trainer. "May, this is Charmander." Overjoyed, May squats down to her new Pokémon's level and holds out her hand. "Hey there sweetie! I'm May!" she greets, and she's happily surprised when Charmander nuzzles her hand.

"Ash, where on earth did you get her?" The trainer asks as her heart just melts at this Pokémon's sweetness. "You remember my Charizard, right?" Ash starts off, earning a nod from his friend. "Well, he and his partner had an egg, and Liza decided to send it to me. I had intended for you to hatch the egg yourself, but this little one just couldn't wait to see the world."

Laughing lightly, the coordinator leaned down to pet the Charmander, earning a happy humming sound in retaliation. "She's beautiful Ash. Thank you." May says, picking up the fire type gently. Leaning up on her tiptoes, the girl presses a kiss to Ash's cheek, smiling brightly. "I'd hug you, but I just can't put her down! She's absolutely wonderful." May admits to a blushing Ash, giggling all the while. Charmander nuzzles into her trainer's touch, getting comfortable as the Hoenn native smiled at her friend.

"No worries May. I didn't mind it." Ash blurted before mentally kicking himself for not thinking before he spoke. "Oh? I'll be sure to kiss you more often then." she winks, before moving along through the crowd. "C'mon Lover Boy. I have a tournament to get to."

Rolling his eyes, Ash hurries to catch up with her, cheeks as bright as the little Charmander's flame.

* * *

Now seated in a fairly good spot in the stadium, Ash and his mother awaited May's first battle. "May was really excited when I introduced her to Charmander." He tells his mom, who smiles in return.

"Of course she was, dear." Delia says with a playful eye roll. "Anyone would be excited to receive a Pokémon from a friend." Nodding his head in agreement, Ash's eyes trail to the battlefield. He spots Drew standing on one side, another trainer he didn't recognize on the other.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"


	3. three

**hey guys! here's another chapter because I literally can't stop writing for this story lmao. I spent a good chunk of my day mapping out the results of this conference, assigning Pokémon to trainers that didn't have full teams, and making sure all of my information was accurate! quick update on the changes I've decided on: the first is that Gary would also be a coordinator in this story, simply because he is (or was) Ash's main rival and it just makes sense, ya know? Sawyer and Alain will also make appearances in their usual roles from the anime, and a few game counterparts will be in this story too! (so far, Brendan and Wally have been set in stone. Let me know if you wanna see anyone else!) well, that's all from me this time, so I hope you guys enjoy! -AJ**

* * *

Ash looked up, surprised to see a familiar face. Max Maple, now a Pokémon trainer, beamed down at the native of Kanto. "Well? Can I sit or do you want me to go bother someone else?" the young teen smirks.

"Sit down Max." Ash rolls his eyes, focusing his attention down to the battlefield. If he squinted hard enough, he could make out May's red bandana and the bright flame of Charmander's tail. If he didn't know any better, he might have assumed that she was getting worried, and well, he never could leave a friend if they needed help.

"I'm gonna go check on May real quick; I'll be back in a few." the coordinator tells his mother and friend. He rises to his feet and shuffles past the few people left in the row, hurrying down the stairs to make it down to where May was standing.

* * *

The trainer in question anxiously watched Drew's Pyroar blasted a column of fire at his opponent's Klefki. Her blue eyes were dark with worry and the Pokémon sitting on her shouldereasily picked up on the nervous mood of her trainer.

May only looked over her shoulder when the doors slammed open behind her. She was startled to see Ash making his way towards her, but she didn't fight the urge to approach him. Charmander jumped off her shoulder to sit with Pikachu, giving both trainers the ability to move freely. The two Pokémon knew full well that if anyone could cheer May up, it would be the Kanto native.

Ash's arms moved up on their own accord so he could embrace her, and May had already thrown her arms around his shoulders before he could say a word. "What's bothering you?"

The trainer mumbles something against his chest as her shoulders shake with her silent anxieties. The two Pokémon looked up at their trainers with worried expressions, both knowing that May was worrying too much for her own good.

" _And the winner is Drew from LaRousse City! Please standby as we prepare for the next battle."_

"Drew swept his opponent's team. I'm so worried..." she mutters again, this time loud enough for Ash to hear. "I understand." he starts to say, and that's when she puts aside her pride to finally break down in the comfort of his arms.

She's not crying, but her breaths are forced and her chest is heaving. "What if I'm not good enough?" May asks, too worried to look him in the eye. "What if I disappoint my family, or my Pokémon? What if... What if I disappoint _you?"_ she whispers, voice breaking.

"May, please look at me." She shakes her head so Ash tries again. "Please May. I want you to look me in the eyes as I say this to you."

She shakes her head again, and he sighs because he knows she won't budge. "Okay, okay. You win."

He takes a deep breath as he soothingly rubs her back to calm her down. "You could never be a disappointment. You're the best trainer I've ever seen, both on and off the field. Your Pokémon adore you and they're here to support you along the way."

May is silent as he speaks, but her breathing has slowed and her shoulders have stopped shaking.

"Your family loves you and will forever be proud of you." Ash says, smiling fondly at the memory of the proud look on Max's face. "All of your rivals support you, even if they want to win themselves. I'm sure even Drew would agree that if he couldn't win, you would deserve itmost." He can't stop his heart from skipping a beat when she giggles.

"I'll get off of my soapbox now and end with this: you are my best friend. I will always support you and I would drop everything just to remind you that you are amazing at what you do."

The trainer slowly nods her head, continuing to let her best friend comfort her. "Thank you." she mutters, finally moving her head to look up at him. Ash raises an eyebrow, albeit with a smirk, and May sighs playfully before continuing.

"Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for being the very best friend I could ever ask for." Instead of vocalizing his answer, Ash holds her a little tighter, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Now get ready to show Kalos what the Hoenn region is really made of!" Laughing at his words, May steps back and squats down to pet Charmander. The young fire type had been trying to get her trainer's attention, had been trying to help. "I'm alright now sweetie. Thank you for the concern."

" _May Maple and Andrew Carter, please report to the exit by the field."_

Looking over her shoulder as the intercom went off overhead, May turns back to Ash with a sheepish smile. "Well, I guess that's my cue."

The raven haired coordinator nods before he says goodbye. "Max and I will be cheering for you."

Despite her blush, May smiled with determination and nodded her head. "I won't let you down."

Ash grins brightly at her words before leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek. "Just returning the favor." he says with a wink, before giving her a thumbs up. "You can do this. You're May Maple, the best Pokémon trainer ever!" he adds before they part ways. The brunette takes a deep breath and approaches the doors that lead to the battlefield.

"Let's do this Charmander." she says, eyes burning with passion.

"Charmander!" the Pokémon cheers, eager to help her trainer in any that she can. With confidence in her step, May walks out onto the field. Her eyes search the crowd for Ash and when she spots him making his way to his seat, she grins brightly.

"Red Trainer, you will be revealing your Pokémon first." the referee calls out to Andrew, who grits his teeth and nods. "Alright Blastoise, it's show time! Let's show the Kalos region what Kanto is all about!" The large turtle Pokémon appears on the field with a loud _thud!_

"Green Trainer, please send out your Pokémon." May's eyes dart to Ash and Max before she nods her head, pulling a Pokéball from her fanny pack. "Venusaur, take the stage! Let's give it our best shot!" She tosses her Pokéball into the air, and once the Kanto starter type lands on the field, the battle begins.


End file.
